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Kings Avenue drill hall, Clapham

Coordinates: 51°27′20″N 0°07′45″W / 51.4556°N 0.1292°W / 51.4556; -0.1292
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Kings Avenue drill hall
Clapham
Kings Avenue drill hall
Kings Avenue drill hall is located in Greater London
Kings Avenue drill hall
Kings Avenue drill hall
Location within Greater London
Coordinates51°27′20″N 0°07′45″W / 51.4556°N 0.1292°W / 51.4556; -0.1292
TypeDrill hall
Site history
BuiltEarly 20th century
Built forWar Office
In useEarly 20th century - 2020

The Kings Avenue drill hall, often referred to as Melbourne House, was a military establishment in Clapham.

History

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The building was designed as the headquarters of the Surrey Yeomanry and was completed in the early 20th century.[1] The regiment was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to Salonika.[2]

The regiment evolved to become the 98th (Surrey and Sussex Yeomanry, Queen Mary's) Army Field Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1922, 298 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1947 and 263 (Surrey Yeomanry, Queen's Mary's) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1961.[3] The unit was disbanded in 1967 but was reformed as B (Surrey Yeomanry) Troop, 200 (Sussex Yeomanry) Field Battery, 100 Medium Regiment RA (Volunteers) when it moved to Sutton in 1969.[3]

Instead the drill hall became the base for a detachment from 210 Ambulance Squadron, 151 (Greater London) Transport Regiment, Royal Corps of Transport.[4] The detachment was subsequently transferred to 240 Transport Squadron, 151 Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps.[5] After the drill hall had been decommissioned, it was used as a filming venue.[6]

The drill hall was demolished in April 2020 to make way for Harris Clapham Sixth Form College which is due to open in September 2021.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Clapham". The Drill Hall Project. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  2. ^ "Surrey Yeomanry (Queen Mary's Regiment)". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Surrey Yeomanry (Queen Mary's Regiment)". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 8 July 2007. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  4. ^ "151st Transport Regiment, Royal Corps of Transport (Volunteers)". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 29 April 2007. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  5. ^ "Stepping Forward" (PDF). p. 409. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 July 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  6. ^ "Clapham". Alternative Venues. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  7. ^ "Mixed views on proposed new sixth form on former Territorial Army site in Clapham". London News Online. 29 November 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2020.